The US move to designate the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) as a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO) will disrupt the BLA’s operations, enhance intelligence-sharing with international partners, reshape regional dynamics, and fortify Pakistan’s political narrative against terrorism.

Analysts say the US nod to Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts marks a significant milestone in Islamabad’s fight against terrorism.

“The US designation will choke the BLA’s financial lifelines, limit its ability to operate internationally, and validate Pakistan’s stance that it is a terrorist outfit, not an uprising against repression,” Baqir Sajjad Syed, an Islamabad-based foreign affairs analyst, tells TRT World.

“This is a significant win for Pakistan both in the field and at the diplomatic table,” he adds.

Responsible for numerous terrorist attacks targeting civilians, security forces, and critical infrastructure, the BLA has sought to destabilise Pakistan under the guise of a so-called freedom struggle. Pakistan proscribed it in 2006. 

Islamabad claims that the BLA, also known by its alias Majeed Brigade, receives support from neighbouring India. New Delhi dismisses the allegation.

The terrorist outfit has regularly targeted Pakistani security forces and attacked civilians, including Chinese nationals working on multibillion-dollar projects related to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). 

In March, BLA-linked terrorists hijacked a passenger train and killed 21 people.

The BLA’s designation as a terror organisation by Washington imposes severe restrictions, including asset freezes, travel bans, and curbs on material support, effectively strangling the group’s ability to raise funds and conduct cross-border activities.

By cutting off the BLA’s access to international financial networks, the US designation has hampered its ability to procure weapons, recruit fighters, and sustain its propaganda campaigns.

This aligns with Pakistan’s long-standing efforts to dismantle terrorist networks operating within its borders, particularly in the Balochistan province that abounds with natural resources, including rare earth elements.

The designation also carries symbolic weight, lending international legitimacy to Pakistan’s counterterrorism narrative. For years, Pakistan has maintained that the BLA is a terrorist organisation, not a freedom movement. 

“Domestically, the US move would reinforce the government’s position that BLA’s actions are terrorist in nature, not a legitimate struggle. This would undercut the group’s propaganda and strengthen public support for counterterrorism measures,” Syed says.

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A step towards greater international cooperation

The FTO designation paves the way for deeper counterterrorism cooperation between Pakistan and the US. Syed highlights this potential, saying the FTO label creates a stronger legal framework for intelligence-sharing and operational coordination.

“It will make it easier to track, disrupt, and apprehend BLA operatives through cooperation with the US and other partners,” he says.

This sentiment is echoed in the recent US-Pakistan joint statement on counterterrorism dialogue, which applauds Pakistan’s “continued successes in containing terrorist entities”.

Described as “one of the most positive and effusive” joint statements in recent years, South Asia analyst Michael Kugelman says the document signals a renewed commitment by the two countries to bilateral cooperation.

“It reads like something from the immediate post-9/11 years. We’ve come a long way, in very little time,” he says.

The enhanced cooperation is particularly timely given the growing interest of American companies in investing in Balochistan’s rare earth metals sector.

Qamar Cheema, executive director of Islamabad-based Sanober Institute think tank, tells TRT World that the presence of US investors will necessitate heightened security measures.

“Americans are going to invest in rare earth metals in Pakistan. Companies are being set up, and US investment is on the way,” Cheema says.

“Any hostile agency or any country won’t be able to sponsor terrorism in Balochistan anymore,” he says.

The influx of foreign investment, coupled with strengthened intelligence-sharing with international partners like the US, will create a more secure environment in Balochistan, deterring groups like the BLA from targeting critical economic projects, he adds.

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Setback for India

Analysts say the BLA’s designation as a foreign terrorist organisation has significant consequences for Pakistan-India relations.  

“The BLA designation puts India in an uncomfortable position. Pakistan has long accused New Delhi of backing the BLA, and now there’s international recognition of the group’s terrorist status,” Syed says.  

The US announcement has discredited the Indian narrative that the violence in Balochistan is a freedom struggle, he says.

“It adds weight to Pakistan’s narrative and will make any proven links far more damaging for India,” Syed adds.

Cheema says the Indian media routinely platforms the BLA, with its spokesperson appearing on mainstream Indian outlets to push its narrative.

“Pakistan holds that the BLA is being funded and provided diplomatic, political, and media support by India. So the extent of that support will go down after the US designation,” Cheema says.

This development also aligns with a broader shift in US policy on South Asia. Cheema highlights the concept of “re-hyphenation,” whereby Washington now views India and Pakistan through a more balanced lens.

“Importantly, now Americans have come up with this model of re-hyphenation. We are on a par with India, so the (Pakistan) government will have more credibility,” he says. 

This shift enhances Pakistan’s diplomatic leverage in Washington and strengthens its position in regional security discussions, he adds.

The FTO designation also helps Islamabad galvanise public support for stricter law enforcement measures in Balochistan.

“In the days ahead, we could potentially see an intensification of counter-terrorism operations in Balochistan,” Syed says.

The designation also sends a clear message to other non-state actors – such as the terrorist Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan outfit – operating in Balochistan. Cheema emphasises that the arrival of American investors, following the precedent set by Chinese investments in CPEC, underscores the need for a secure, investor-friendly environment.

“Earlier, it was China, and now it’s the US. When the Chinese came, the non-state actors targeted them…. Now the American companies are coming,” he says, adding that the government will have to redouble its efforts to protect foreign investors in Balochistan.